Singh says retirement won’t mean he stops running completely. He told the Times of India newspaper that he will continue to run for four hours a day. “Running is my life. I will keep running to inspire the masses,” he said.

Acting on Singh’s inspiration isn’t always easy for a mature runner, of course. While all runners are prone to injuries of the knees, back and hips, we’re more vulnerable to these issues as we get older. “The number of people running tends to decrease with age due to wear and tear on the body,” says Robert Marx, a professor of orthopedic surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery and Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City.

So what’s an aging runner to do to prolong his ability to pound the pavement? We spoke to experts who gave us the following tips:

Cross training: Cross training can help reduce the risk of injury by building up muscle throughout your body, says Marx. “You can run, but also try to mix in swimming, stationary bike, the elliptical, other types of cardio—and definitely do strength training,” he adds. Allen Wilkins, associate medical director at Manhattan Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, also recommends that older runners do lower body strengthening: “Quadriceps strengthening with simple home exercises like wall squats can also prevent pain by helping strengthen stabilizing forces across the knee.”

Proper gear Proper shoes are a key component in preventing most older runners’ injuries, says Wilkins. He recommends buying shoes with particularly strong arch support and changing footwear after roughly every 300 miles of running.

Weight loss Doctors also recommend keeping your weight at bay. “Overweight runners are more at risk for knee and hip osteoarthritis than those whose weight is in the normal range,” says Wilkins.

Stretching Simple stretches are important in injury prevention for older runners, says Wilkins. Stretching the lower back, the iliotibial band (which runs down the outer side of the leg), hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves can all help, he says.

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About Encore

Encore looks at the changing nature of retirement, from new rules and guidelines for financial security to the shifting identities, needs and priorities of people saving for and living in retirement. Our lead blogger is editor Matthew Heimer, and frequent contributors include editor Amy Hoak, writer Catey Hill, and MarketWatch columnists Elizabeth O’Brien, Robert Powell and Andrea Coombes. Encore also features regular commentary from The Wall Street Journal retirement columnists Glenn Ruffenach and Anne Tergesen and the Director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, Alicia H. Munnell.